Crises of the Republic
Four pieces address political lying, civil disobedience, violence and revolutionary politics in the United States. The volume includes On Violence, so its contents should not be counted as an entirely separate set of new arguments.
Understanding the text
Arendt’s political thinking emerged from German philosophy, Jewish political experience, exile and her encounter with American public life. She usually resists turning a historical event into an illustration of a timeless system. Follow her distinctions closely, then test the historical examples and exclusions on which they depend. In posthumous collections, an editor’s arrangement must be distinguished from a book planned and completed by Arendt herself.
Key points
- 01
Lying
The Pentagon Papers prompt analysis of how image-making and expert models can displace inconvenient factual reality.
- 02
Disobedience
Organised public dissent differs from private conscientious refusal and can expose failures of ordinary representation.
- 03
Citizenship
The interview on politics returns to councils and participation as alternatives to passive membership in a mass electorate.
How to read it
Read Lying in Politics alongside Civil Disobedience, distinguishing deception within institutions from collective efforts to correct them.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗